Holiday Inn Express fully open for business

Michaela Harris, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
Updated ·2 min read

Aug. 8—Nearly four years in the making, Holiday Inn Express in Yuba City is fully open for business.

Community leaders and members of the public gathered at the new hotel on Monday for a grand opening ceremony.

Holiday Inn's opening marks the first hotel chain to be developed in Yuba City since 2006. The hotel initially soft-opened its first two floors on June 14 while construction was being finalized. Owner Janki Dubal said that the top two floors were opened in late July.

With construction completed, Holiday Inn features 93 rooms, a fitness center, breakfast for guests, a pool and community conference room.

Holiday Inn Express was built on a plot between Bridge Street and Shasta Street that previously held Feather River Mill, an animal feed and western wear store. According to Appeal archives, the plot sat vacant for over a decade before it was purchased by the Fresno-based company Mehmet Noyan Co., which handled the rehabilitation and development of the site in partnership with Hilbers, Inc.

San Jose-based hospitality company Lotus Management Group has overseen hotel management, Dubal said.

City officials have previously said the location is important because of its proximity to downtown and a new hotel will likely bring more people to the business district, leading to further development in the area.

Yuba City Mayor Wade Kirchner presented Dubal with a plaque commemorating Holiday Inn's grand opening.

"It's been a longtime coming and it's sorely needed because our city is growing," Kirchner said. "To many, many sold out nights."

Even when the hotel was only partially open, Dubal said that its first few weeks were exceptionally busy due to the opening coinciding with the Yuba-Sutter Fair. Hotel officials originally anticipated opening in mid-March, but Dubal believes that recent business makes up for the delay.

"Being there for the community is our ultimate goal. We want to provide a safe space for our community and travelers," Dubal said. "Our mission is to serve smaller communities with few hotel services."

As part of the grand opening, several local businesses were stationed outside Holiday Inn including food trucks and lemonade stands. Kirchner also participated in a charity dunk tank, which donated proceeds to Back the Badge Yuba-Sutter and the ALS Association.

Other community leaders like Sutter County District 4 Supervisor Karm Bains also presented certificates commemorating Holiday Inn's opening.

"I have seen lots of ribbon cutting ceremonies and this is the first time I've seen four jurisdictions come together like this to support a business," Bains said.

As Holiday Inn accepts more business, General Manager and Director of Sales Rosyln Villalpando looks forward to engaging more with the community and providing hospitality services to local residents as well as travelers from surrounding areas.

"We're looking forward to supporting leisure travel like for sports and concerts. We want to build as many business partnerships as possible," Villalpando said.